Sewage Switch Planned To Clean Up Surf Spot
September 20, 2006 - (CBS) CARPINTERIA, Calif. Cleaner waters are coming to the famed Rincon surf spot.

Eight years after surfers first blew the whistle on Rincon Point pollution, officials unanimously approved a plan to switch 156 area beach-side homes from septic tanks to sewer lines. The septic tanks were long suspected as the source of high bacteria levels at Rincon. Many area homes are just above sea level, so septic systems often become waterlogged and stop working during heavy rains and high tides.

Officials expect the sewer hookups to be costly, since sewage from the Rincon Point homes must be pumped more than a mile -- mostly uphill -- to the district's wastewater plant. The original article can be found here - http://cbs2.com/local/local_story_263114010.html

Matilija Dam Removal Moves Forward
By Catherine Saillant, Times Staff Writer
September 7, 2006
An ambitious plan to tear down the 198-foot-high Matilija Dam in Ventura County moved past the design phase Wednesday with the announcement of a $5-million state grant to prepare the site for the removal.

The money will be used to tear out invasive weeds that are choking the Ventura River and to relocate two water wells, Ventura County Supervisor Steve Bennett said.

The 58-year-old dam is northwest of Ojai.

Moving the wells, which provide water to Ventura residents, will remove them from harm's way when the river is once again free flowing and will ensure water quality, Bennett said.
Ventura County's watershed managers had participated in a highly competitive process to secure the grant, Bennett said. The money comes from voter-approved Propositions 40 and 50, which support conservation efforts.

Parallel efforts are underway at the federal level to move the project forward, he said.
"It's demonstrates how much momentum at the state and federal level there is for this restoration," Bennett said.

The dam's removal has been studied for more than a decade and is estimated to cost $130 million, according to a 2004 federal study.

Officials say the Matilija Reservoir is nearly filled with sediment, making it obsolete. Removing the dam would restore the Ventura River's ecosystem, replenish fish stocks and bring much-needed sand to Ventura's beaches. View the original article in the LA TIMES.

Bringing Down The Dam – Chapter activists recently tour Matilija Dam
 
If you haven't checked out the Surfrider Foundation's new blog - The Shaping Room - you should. Featured on the site is a recent post by national staff Mark Rauscher, on the recent Southern California Chapter Conference in Ventura, including a tour of the Matilija Dam.

Read Mark's story at The Shaping Room>>>

Matilija
October 29, 2005 - The California Coastal Conservancy has contributed $1 million towards Matilija's $8 million design phase, according to a recent news article in the Ventura County Star.

October 4th - The Sacramento Bee reports that the cost of recovery from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita could delay plans for demolishing Matilija Dam (read article). The state's Ocean Protection Council recently approved $2 million, however, another $4 million in federal money is needed for the engineering, and the federal government is supposed to pay most of the $130 million for construction and removal. The cost of repairing levees and other water-related projects destroyed by the recent Gulf Coast hurricanes will most likely utilize most of the water project money for years to come.

Clean Water Victory – Industrial polluter ceases discharge onto Ventura beaches
 
“It’s no worse than LA Harbor”
- LARWQB representative justifying lack of concern about the toxic levels found in sediment samples taken from the San Jon Barranca at San Buenaventura State Beach.
 
As of December 2005, the Puretec Industrial Water Treatment Plant is finally closing up shop and leaving the city of Ventura.  This is the most significant recent action to improve water quality on city beaches.  And were it not for the perseverance of the Surfrider Foundation, over 100,000 gallons of industrial wastewater would still be discharged onto the beach every day. Get the whole scoop here>>>

Download the Sanjon Barranca Report (.pdf - 5.3MB)

Ventura County to Cut Back on Water Testing
November 2005 - The County of Ventura will cut back on Ocean Water Quality Monitoring starting November 1, 2005 due to insufficient funding. Only eight surfing beaches will be monitored through April 1, 2006. County of Ventura - Environmental Health website>>>

RESIDENTS DON'T WANT DEBRIS
September 30, 2005

Ventura local residents are reportedly unhappy with the excess debris that has washed up on Ventura's coastline following January's heavy rainstorms. There is a push for the city to clean up what they feel is unsightly and dangerous. (See 9-30-2005 article in the Ventura County Star).

Removal of beach debris is a controversial topic; natural debris (or "rack") can help stablize the beach and prevent erosion, and the rotting seaweed and wood serves as a food source for small beach hoppers and sand fleas, which in turn provides food for sea birds.

Beach grooming has also been studied and proven to have a severe impact on the rare and elusive grunion which spawns completely out of water - laying their eggs in the sand on Southern California beaches during the spring and summer. You can read more about Beach Grooming on the Surfrider Foundation national website.

$2 million approved for Matilija
September 28, 2005
The state's Ocean Protection Council unanimously approved $2 million for engineering and design work to be done on Matilija dam. Last year, the county approved an environmental impact report for the $130 million project.

The project presently does not have federal funding. The $8 million design and engineering phase would take until 2008, with dam removal starting around 2010.

Go to the Matilija Coalition web page for details>>>

Paddle For Clean Water
On September 24th, Ventura Chapter and Santa Barbara Chapter activists paddled out for Clean Water at Stearns Wharf. This event was part of a Surfrider Foundation nation-wide rally to bring attention to the ongoing degradation of our coasts and oceans. Assemblyman Pedro Nava participated in this successful event.